Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-04-01
INSTANCES OF MORBID IMPULSE.
Cases of Emotional Insanity Fatal
Fascination of a sudden Thought.


Cases of "Emotional Insanity Fatal
Fascination of IA sudden Thought.
1t is familiar idea that people at the
top of high tower or on the edge of a
dizzy cliff feel tempted to throw them
selves over. This is, perhaps, the COM
monest instance of morbid impulse.
Yet there is in the term significance,
breadth of suggestion which must relate
back to the experience of every man and
woman and explain feelings which have
at the time seemed odd beyond explana-
ton, feelings which have often led an
innocent, self respecting individual to the
very verge of an atrocity which would
have made of him a criminal.
Morbid impulses may be criminal or
humorous. The humorous, no doubt,
when executed, often carry their perpe
traitor to the commission of assault and
battery, at least. That the criminal inn
pulses of this kind are responsible for
very large proportion of offenses against
criminal laws no one acquainted with
that line of defense known as emotional
insanity can for moment doubt. And
the very vital interest attaching to all
such cases depends in large degree on
the hazy and almost indehnable causes
and surroundings which are involved in
the consideration of morbid impulses.
History records notable instances. 1t
was, perhaps, more than anything else,
due to a morbid impulse that Nero struck
off the head of that Roman artisan who
came to him with a beaten glass cup in
his hand and affirmed that the secret of
making glass malleable had yielded to
his patient investigation. The historians
who mention the hitherto irreparable loss
civilization has sustained by the failure
to perpetuate this wonderful invention
aSCribe Nero's act to fear lest the
precious metals should be superseded.
But to student of this fascinating sub
ject there can he no doubt that Nero fell
an instantaneous victim to morbid inn
pulse to crush out at one blow this mar
Vicious discovery. 1t seems, indeed, a
relief to find So human an impulse in the
nature of creature who was so in
human as to fiddle when the greatest
city of the world was burning.
Ratings are built securely around the
tops of all the tallest towers in the world
to prevent involuntary suicides. The
subject of a morbid impulse loses at once
all regard for consequences. Whether
the indulgence of the craving SO suddenly
born will put an end to his own life. even,
or inflict a dangerous OF fatal injury on
some other perhaps a friend or loved
one, is immaterial.
1t is quite conceivable that a dentist,
on almost uncovering the throbbing nerve
of tooth, should be seized with a sud-
den desire to penetrate to that sensitive
tissue, and should, with one movement
of the wrist, thrust the instrument deep
into the agonized cavity. But it ism t
likely that such cases would become
known if they happened. And there
would be under all such circumstances
the general excuse of accident or unfore-
seen complication.
1t is thought by some that many of the
instances recorded in the daily papers of
fatal wounds inflicted by weapons in the
hands of persons who ''didn't know they
Were loaded" may be explained on the
theory of morbid impulses. The Irish
man at Donnybrook fair. who hit every
bare pate he saw. was moved first of all
by morbid impulse. There is something
devilish i'll the disposition of many if not
most human beings. which may never
crop out, never come to be realized in tho
domain of their consciousness, but which
may seize on them with force appar
emily superhuLnan at some critical mo-
ment, when weapon in hand, perhaps in
sport, a human life is put suddenly in the
balance and a morbid impulse weighs
down the fatal scale.
1t is undoubtedly a morbid impulse
which prompts one to laugh consumedly
at the fall of a stranger on the icy pave
ment. There is nothing in itself amusing
in a fall, which may inflict great injury.
But laugh on public thoroughfare is
generally its attendant.
People riding in railway cars are not
infrequently smitten by morbid impulses
to knock the hats off people on the station
platform as the train passes. People call
ing on parvenu are often tempted to
shrek out in his crowded drawing room
that he made his millions pig sticking
People in a public assemblage are famil-
iarly reminded Of the man who shrieked
just to break the stiffness when Patti
rested so long ON high c. Every man
may have, and most people do have,
morbid impulses The well disciplined
mind doesn't yield to and is often not
conscious of them.--John Paul Bocock in
Detroit Free Press.